1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to communication systems for providing services to individual and corporate subscribers worldwide. More specifically, the invention relates to an advanced intelligent communication system that provides subscriber-requested services through existing communication switches even in those circumstances in which the hardware communication switch is not configured to provide such services. The system supports the use of personal identification number (PIN) access cards for use in fixed and mobile markets from any communication device located anywhere in the world and provides flexible call processing and switching services that deliver enhanced computer telephony capabilities, utilizing standard communication equipment and operating systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Advanced communication services, such as call forwarding, call conferencing, and voice mail have long been available to individual and corporate subscribers of telephone services. However, because such services are dependent on telephone carrier equipment, and because not all telephone switches can presently support all available advanced communication services, many subscribers are still unable to take advantage of these services at their home or at their place of business. Furthermore, even though a subscriber may have such services available at his or her normal place for communication, the services may be unavailable should the user attempt access through another person's communication device, a personal computer, a portable telephone, or a public phone. In other words, access to such services is extremely limited--restricted by the equipment in use, the equipment offered by the telephone carrier, and the prior sign-up by the particular subscriber.
Specialized equipment and proprietary software are conventionally used to provide various advanced services on a telephone system, such as abbreviated dialing, password service, automatic alarm, multiline hunting, call forwarding (busy, no reply, unconditional, and selective), call accept (selective), call back, distinctive ringing, network voice mail, and interception service. When an analog telephone switch is used in the communication network, as is the case in many remote areas, few of these advanced services are available to the customer. Similarly, if a basic digital switch is used, some of the advanced services described above may not be available depending on the software of the digital switch.
Presently, when advanced telephony services are desired to be made available to network customers within an analog-switched network, a proprietary digital switch must be purchased along with a proprietary computer operating system and proprietary software. If the network uses a digital switch and advanced services are desired to be added to the network, a replacement digital switch and supporting software might have to be acquired. In either situation, an outdated, "legacy" switch is replaced with a "new generation" switch. In the alternative, some features can be added to an existing digital switch by upgrading the switch and its proprietary software. Whichever upgrade measure is taken, the process is expensive and time-consuming to acquire, install, test, and maintain the requisite hardware and software. Therefore, whether an analog switch is upgraded to a proprietary digital switching platform, such as those available from Lucent Technologies or Nortel, or an existing digital switch is upgraded to provide additional services, significant cost and effort are involved.
Therefore, time, effort, and expenses would be saved if there were a way to provide enhanced communication services to customers without replacing or upgrading existing legacy switches and supporting software. The platform and method (hereinafter collectively referred to as the "system") of the present invention meet such a need by interfacing with older "legacy" switches, whether analog or digital, and by operating on industry-standard computer platforms that satisfy telephone companies' functional and technical requirements.
In addition to hardware and software limitations, access to advanced communication services is further limited by the payment platform utilized by the customer. Access to and payment for communication services through the use of prepaid cards, such as telephone calling cards, is well known in the field of electronic communication. Such prepaid calling cards are sold at department stores, grocery stores, convenience stores, and other places of business. The prepaid calling cards can be produced in any specific amount or denomination, such as $10.00, $25.00, or $100.00, printed on the card. Also printed on the card are an access telephone number and additional instructional or promotional information. In addition, although typically not printed on the card, is a personal identification number (PIN) for authenticating the user. The access telephone number is the number to be initially dialed to interface with a host computer to access the desired communication service. To initiate a connection, the card holder first dials the access number, often a toll-free number; second, the card holder manually enters the associated PIN; and third, the card holder dials the telephone number of the location to be called.
Upon verification and authorization of the entered information and the prepaid card balance, the user is connected to the network. The access number links the cardholder to the computer host. Magnetic strip or bar code readers may also be used to decode information stored on the card, including an account code, but the additional step of manually entering a PIN is required by the user to complete a telephone call or another transaction. The PIN is intended to provide secured access to various services and features by limiting those services and features to users presumably authorized by virtue of their knowledge of the correct PIN; the PIN being verified to authenticate that the cardholder is a valid user. Once a call is placed using the telephone calling card, the charges for the call are billed to the card holder's account or decremented from the card.
However, while prepaid calling cards have become a convenient method by which telephone calling services may be made available to customers worldwide, regardless of the telephone being used, such calling cards do not permit access to more advanced communication services, such as voice mail, call forwarding, or call conferencing. The reason for this limitation is that present networks limit calling card access to simple calls for which the account represented by the card may be either debited or charged. No integrated system exists that links calling card accounts with a database for offering more advanced services, such as a mailbox for voice mail messages or a pathway for conference calling or linking telephone numbers for call forwarding. In other words, card holders are presently constrained from using the calling card to access contracted, advanced communication services from any communication device worldwide for receiving desired, advanced communication services.
Another problem associated with the use of telephone calling cards through which advanced communication services may be purchased is the management, tracking, and accounting of such transactions. This problem arises because most communication systems permitting use of telephone calling cards are concerned primarily with the authorized payment of delivering such services and because prepaid telephone cards often are purchased as a commodity and no linking between card usage and an identifiable account, person, or corporation can be maintained. In short, the user does not have access to a comprehensive customer care system, which incorporates the administrative, card management, account management, security, customer care, and distribution management of a PIN access card system into a single software package on a public switched telephone network (PSTN) or any other communication network, without a need to purchase proprietary application software of the leading communication giants, such as Lucent, Nortel, etc.
The preferred embodiments of the present invention overcome the problems associated with existing mechanisms for delivering advanced communication services to customers, with or without use of PIN access cards by providing an easily implemented, cost-effective, "open standards" telephony solution that provides value-added services, such as voice mail, to people and businesses regardless of the sophistication of the switch to which they are connected, at a minimal cost to a local telephone company, service provider, or the subscribing consumer.